Foldable table with hinged top



y 7, 1957 F. WESBECHER FOLDABLE TABLE WITH HINGED TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1956 FRANK WESBECHER, BY

ATTORNEY May 7, 1957 F. WESBECHER 2,791,477

FOLDABLE TABLE WITH HINGED TOP Filed Feb. 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fia.

f INVENTOR. FRANK Wesaecuea,

BY v 2 Arm/war nite This invention relates to an improvement in collapsible tables and particularly to tables that may be collapsed for convenient storage or, when collapsed may serve as an ornamental screen for a fireplace.

The invention contemplates a. preferably square table top and a group of supporting leg devices and with certain of the legs being relatively fixed while other of the legs are swingable toward the fixed legs to lie closely adjacent thereto and with the table top being hingedly connected in a manner whereby it is shiftable forwardly and downwardly to lie closely adjacent the collapsed legs and in a substantially perpendicular position with a lower corner having resting engagement upon the floor as an aid in maintaining the device in an upstanding position either for storage against a wall or when serving as a fireplace screen panel.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a table constructed in accordance with the invention, with the table top being broken away to illustrate the supporting leg structure in elevation,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device and with the table top being shown in dotted lines,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the table in the fully collapsed position and ath the table top being shown in the screen forming position,

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the parts in the fully collapsed position, and

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a supporting structure as a whole and whereby to support a table top 6. The structure 5 constitutes a pedestal that has central underlying relation to the top 6. The support 5 includes a pair of spaced apart and vertically arranged tubular legs 7 and 8. The legs 7 and 8 include a horizontal base extension 9 and horizontal and parallel upper extensions lb. The terminal ends of the base extensions 9 are downwardly bent and are provided with cushion pads 11. As clearly shown, the extensions 9 and 10 of the legs 7 and 8 extend in diametrically opposite directions whereby the upper extensions 10 underlie and support the table top 6. The legs 7 and 8 are relatively fixed with respect to each other by brackets 12 and 13. The brackets 12 and 13 constitute bearings for leg sections 14 and 15. The leg section 14 is bent to provide a horizontal base extension 16 while the leg section 15 is bent to provide a horizontal base section 17. The sections 16 and 17 lie in the same plane as the extensions 9 States Patent 0 ICC and their terminal ends are likewise provided with cushioned pads 18. The leg sections 14 and 15 are perpendicular and parallel and also parallel with respect to the legs 7 and 8. The leg section 14 adjacent its upper end is ofiset at 19 and with the offset terminating in a horizontal upper extension 20 that is disposed in the same plane as the extensions 10 and likewise serves to underlie and support the table top 6. The leg section 15 is provided with an upper horizontal extension 21 forming an underlying support for the table top 6 and the terminal end of the extension 21 is upturned at 22 to have snapping engagement within a preferably metallic socket 23 fixed within a recess 24 of the underside of the table top.

The brackets 12, as clearly shownin Figure 6 are formed in pairs and clamp upon the opposite sides of the leg members 7 and 8 through the medium of bolts 25, thus establishing lower bearings for the leg sections 14 and 15 while at the same time rigidly binding upon the leg members 7 and 8 to support them in relatively fixed relation to each other. The upper clamps 13 likewise have clamping engagement with respect to the legs 7 and S and simultaneously serve as a clamping means for a fixed hinge plate 26, that is clamped against the side of the legs 7 and 8 whereby the hinge plate is rigidly supported against movement with respect to the legs 7 and 8. Plate 26 at its upper end is provided with a hinge joint 27 for hinged connection with a hinge plate 28. The hinge plate 28 is also provided with an upper hinge joint 29 that is hingedly connected to an elongated hinge plate 30 that is fixedly connected to the underside of the table top 6 through the medium of screws 31 or like fastening devices. The offset 19 provides adequate clearance for the swinging movement of the leg 14 to and from a collapsed position with respect to the hinge elements 27, 28 and 3%). It is contemplated that the legs 14 and 15 be rotatably supported within the bearing brackets 12 and 13 to be shiftable in a horizontal plane in the direction of the arrows in Figure l to and from a collapsed position with respect to the relatively fixed legs 7 and 8. Suitable stop means, not shown may be employed to limit the swinging movement of the upper extension 20 of the leg 14 to thus dispose the extension 20 in a position atright angles to the upper extensions 10 when the table is in the fully extended position. While the legs 14 and 15 have been shown in spaced apart relation, it will be apparent that they may be closely arranged and with the bracekts 12 and 13 preventing outward movement with respect to each other. While the leg devices have been shown and described as tubular, it will also be apparent that they may be of solid cylindrical steel construction.

In the use of the device, with the table in the fully ex tended position as illustrated, in Figures 1, 2 and 4, when it is desired to collapse the device for storage or other purposes, the operator first shifts the leg 14 and its upper horizontal extension 20 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, to a position where its pad 18 has abutting engagement with an adjacent pad 11 carried by one horizontal extension 9. In this position, the table top may be shifted downwardly upon the hinge joint 29, permitting the disengagement of the upturned end 22 from the socket 23, at which time the leg 15 is shifted in the direction of the arrow to lie closely adjacent the leg structure '7 and its horizontal extension 9. In the fully collapsed position the several legs are now in closely adjacent positions with respect to each other, shown more clearly in Figure 5. At this time, table top 6 is continued in the forward and downward movement upon the hinge joint 27 to a point where a corner of the table has resting engagement upon the floor A. Thus, the table top functions as an additional supporting means whereby the entire mechanism is supported in an upright position against tilting. The plate 28 is so dimensioned as to position the table top in its col- Patented May- 7, 1957 lapsed position sufiiciently far enough in advance of the collapsed legs as to provide this additional bracing against tilting. When the table is to be extended, the table top is shifted upwardly. upon its hinge plates to a position closely approximating a horizontal'position, at'which time the leg is rotated to swing its upper extension 21 in an arc to cause. the upturned end 22 to engage within the socket 23, in which position the extension 21 is at a right angle to the extensions 10. With the end ZZ engaged within its socket 23, the table top has assumed a horizontal position and, at this time the leg 14 is rotated causing its horizontal extension to move to a right angle position with respect to the extensions 19. The table is thus rigidly supported in its horizontal position by the oppositely extending and substantially equidistantly spaced extensions 10, 20 and 21.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel collapsible table structure has been presented. The legs 14 and 15 and their upper and lower extensions 16, 17 and 20 and 21 arequickly and easily shiftable to permit the table top to be swung forwardly and downwardly to assume a perpendicular position and to have resting engagement with respect to the floor. No separate fastening devices are necessary to maintain the legs in their relative positions, since the extensions 10, 20and 21, will have a normal frictional contact with the undersurface of the table top 6. The novel form of hinge construction. presents a very desirable mounting for the table top with.

respect to the leg structures and the leg 14 at its offset 19 permits the use of such a hinge construction. The device readily lends itself to various forms of tables, such as card tables, kitchen tables or other utility tables, is relatively cheap to manufacture, is easily assembled or disassembled for shipping purposes and greatly facilitates the use of a table structure where storage capacity is at a mini-' mum and, when in the collapsed position permits the device to be placed closely adjacent a wall area or in front of a fireplace as an ornamental screen.

It is to be understood, that while a preferred form of the device has been illustrated and described, mechanical changes are contemplated as readily fallv within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A foldable table having a. square fiat top and asupporting pedestal, the said pedestal, embodying a pair of non-rotatable legs and a pairoflegs rotatable with respect to the first named legs, clamping rneans whereby the non rotatable legs are held in a spaced apart parallel relation,

bearings formedupon the clampingrmeans, the said rotat able legs being disposed within the bearingsv forv relative swinging movement with respect to the non-rotatable legs, the said legs being all closely adjacent to each other whereby to form the pedestal, each of the legs being,

provided with horizontally arrangedfloor engaging extensions and with each of the legs at their upper ends having horizontal upper extensions that underlie and support the table top, the first named legs having their extensions projecting in opposite directions, the extensions of the rotatable legs extending in opposite directions when the device has been disposed in a supporting position for the table top, a hinge device that isrigidly connected to the non-- rotatable legs adjacent their upper-ends, .the.said hinge device embodying a fixed hinge leaf and relatively swinging hinge leaves andwith one of the leaves being fixedly connected to the underside of the table top adjacent the vertical center line of the pedestal, the said rotatable legs being individually shiftable, means formed upon the upper extension of one rotatable leg that has interlocking engagement with the underside of the table top, means formed upon the opposite rotatable tag at its upper portion whereby to provide a clearance for the rotatable movement of the leg and its upper extension, the said rotatable legs being rotatable in a horizontal plane for abutting engagement with the non-rotatable legs, the said table top being swingable in a vertical plane outwardly from the axial center of the pedestal and then downwardly to assume a vertical position with one corner of the table top resting upon the floor and whereby to prevent an overbalanced tilting of the device when in the folded position.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means isarranged in opposed pairs and wherein the opposite ends of each of the clamps partially embrace and have gripping engagement upon the opposite sides of the non-rotatable legs to maintain the legs against rotation, the said bearing means of each of the clamping means being disposed intermediate the ends of the clamps, the rotatable leg adjacent to the hinge device being offset outwardly at its upper portion and whereby to dispose its horizontal extension in a plane whereby to provide the clearance for the folding movement of the leg with respect to the hinge device, the other rotatable leg having the terminal end of its upper horizontal extension upturned for seating engagement within a recess formed in the underside of the table top and whereby to fix the last named rotatable leg in its maximum supporting position with respect to the table top.

3. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the hinge device embodies the fixed hinge plate, an intermediate hinge leaf hingedly connected to the fixed plate and an upper hinge leaf hingedly connected to the intermediate hinge leaf, the upper hinge leaf constituting the connecting means between the hinge and the table top, the said intermediate hinge leaf having parallel abutting engagement with the sidesof the non-rotatable legs when the structure is in the extended position, the said rotatable legs when in the folded position permitting the table top to swing outwardly and downwardly-in an arcuate path away from the pedestalunder the influence of the intermediate hinge leaf to the position where a'corner of the table top has contactingengagement with a floor area.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 318,298 Roberts May 19, 1895 914,514 Rogers Q. Mar. 9, 1909 989,813 Schumacher Apr. 18, 1911 1,402,174 Nichols et al Jan. 3, 1922 1,939,904 Koopman Dec. 19, 1933 1,998,519 Odenwald Apr. 23, 1935 2,079,639 Swensson May 11, 1937 2,325,182 Fitspatrick July 27, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 181,496 Switzerland Dec. 31, 1935 

